@tommythehitman: I liked the same line as Waezi', but I had a minor problem with this:

Inside the little yellow cab, I pull out a cigarette and let the sweet nicotine fix calm my nerves

In the 1940's, cigarette commercials still played on the radio that said "most doctors prefer the taste of a Camel" (or whatever brand). I don't think people at that time had any idea that cigs were actually addictive, or knowledge of nicotine. I could be wrong.

@oscuro: I like the story- although not sure what "pseudo-vampire" is. Is it like Morbius? Not a fan of script style though, and since you provided narration between speaking bits, you may as well have gone full prose with this. On the other hand, I should really develop a script style- I just haaaaate it. lol

XLR8R (“accelerator”) is a drug that gives the user superspeed, and was developed by the criminal XL, who is also a user of the drug. It makes the user think faster which is its chief allure, often being bought by college students. Students often refer to it as In-A-Blur, because it’s an “enabler,” allowing them to think and do things “in a blur.” You may also hear it referred to as Lite-Speed, because it makes ordinary speed seem like a downer. Designed to be addictive, addicts will often use their speed to commit crimes. Many addicts committing robberies have accidentally killed their victims by striking them at superspeed while running. If caught, they are charged with manslaughter on the first offense (rather than involuntary manslaughter, since they voluntarily took the drug) and murder on subsequent offenses.

Not working the same as superspeed gained through other means, XLR8R accelerates the body’s metabolism, burning away fat at first, which is another reason that people get into the drug. Unfortunately, with its addictive properties, most go too far, and the drug starts metabolizing muscle too. Many addicts die from this, overusing the drug to the point of their bodies metabolizing everything it can until they die from massive cardiac failure; their bodies shriveled to the bones. Addicts who die like this, or who are clearly headed that way, are commonly referred to as a “jerky,” rather than “junkie,” and are said to be “overR8ed” (“overrated”). They are also called Suicide Runners, since the super speed most often leads to their death.

“OverR8,” “overR8ting” and “overR8ed” have become slang terms associated with the use of XLR8R. Also, in association with “jerky,” users are also vulgarly referred to as “jerking off.” i.e. “Man, that guy jerked himself off a long time ago.” A more accepted way of saying this is, “He overR8ed a long time ago.” When dealing with the public, please use the “overR8ed” version.

XLR8R, although often fatal, is not as terminal as LMN8 which causes most users to spontaneously combust. Users with the strength of will to use the drug in moderation are often perceived as very smart as they tend to use the drug to enhance their brainpower. However, they tend to not be able to sit still, and often talk rapidly like a person with too much caffeine in their system. Talking at superspeed is a dead giveaway, and people trying to do an intervention for a user often have to shoot them with several tranquilizers to slow them down enough to talk to them. Some users can find the right balance of using the drug and not, to give themselves superspeed for a purpose. One of these is the drug’s designer, XL, but it’s likely that he’ll overR8 at some point.

In conjunction with Fast Company, super speed harnesses are being developed for first responders to help combat this problem. Known as F.R.E.S.H., short for the First Responder Emergency Speed Harness, it will allow first responders to match speed with those under the influence of XLR8R. The harness has been tested in the field for some time now by the Fast Company sponsored superheroine Redline. For this reason, F.R.E.S.H. is also known as the Redline System. When we have a release date for this harness, an announcement will be made via press conference.